Tunnel-kiln.



E. R, SUTCLIPFE.

TUNNEL KILN.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1911.

Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

w/iflehssas 5 3721 EDGAR ROUSE SUTCLIFFE, or LEIGH, ENGLAND.

TUNNEL-KEEN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 15, 1911. Serial No. 633,245.

T0 aZZ whom it mag conceive Be it known that I, EDGAR Rouse SUT- ourru',a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Leigh, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvemeii'ts inTunnel-Kilns, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to. improvements in the construction of tunnelkilnsin which the goods are fired while passing along the tunnel ontrucks; and the objects of the improvements are, first, to provide forthe thorough and rapid combustion of the gases at the firing. Zone, sothat quicker and more economical working can be secured; second, tobetter distribute the gases so that they are completely burned beforecoming in contact with the briquets. I attain these objects by theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 11s a vertical section of the en-- tire kiln; Fig. v2 is a plan View,with'the left hand part shown as a section on the line 67 3 of Flg. 1;and Fig. 3 1s a section through the combustion chamber on'the line.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the preliminary heating zone, Bthe heating zone proper, C the combustion chamber, D the air heatingzone, and E the cooling off Zone. l 7

The wagons R stacked with bricks enter through a door F on the left ofthe kiln and pass gradually through the kiln to the i right so as todeliver burned briquets at G, the doors being air-tight and being openedto admit and deliver one, or two trucks at a time. and the trucks beingso arranged to form a continuous platform as is usual.

The length of the Zones A, B, C, D, and E, is approximately such as toallow of 5, 7, 7, 6, and 3 wagons respectively in each of the saidZones. "The draft is in the opposite dire tion 'to the movei'nent of thetrucks and maybe obtained either by a high chimney, or preferably by afan 0 forcing in air through the flue I, and also under the wagons atthe, delivery end of the base flue J. In some cases however maybe ad-The kiln is shown arranged to be fired by producer gas which is broughtthereto through the flue K, passing into the kiln by the horizontalfines M, and N; these fines are provided with checker work outlets 0,

and 77 respectively, shown in section in and their size is regulated bydampers m, and further the bridge L projections r and 7, at each end ofthe this base immediately beneath the checkeuwork the a r and currentsso as to obtain internnxing of the two as much as possible. A smalleramount of gas enters through 2, than through 0, its principal objectbeing to heat the air for combustion before it reaches the main firingpoint at 0. an excess of air is therefore arranged at 9', which heatedboth by the gas from 70, and its passage over the in andescent briquetsreaches 1 at a high temperature and produces there an-lntense heat withvery rapid combustion, and in such a way that owing to the restrictedarea under the gas flues its velocity will be increased and it willproduce a protect-ire air current for some little distance into thecombustion chamber, thus keeping any possibly unburned gas away from thebriquets until its combustion is complete This is a point of greatmoment, and further the zoneof intense heatis elongated which is also agreat advantage. The air for the furnace is introducedfrom I through thetop this 2', and is deflected downward on to the hot briq'uets by thedeflectors t, reaching the preliminary gas supply at therefore at aconsiderable temperature and largely over the bridge LgOwizw to therestricted space under the gas entry fines the air remains in theenlarged section 39 a oonsiderable time thus taking up greater air.

The combustion chamber proper eiztends is provided on the air heatingside of the furnace, and

openings, for the purpose of breaking up heat, forming a storagereservoir for hot Patented on. as, rein;

from r to c, and having a space above the top of the bricks allows ofcomplete combustion therein without likelihood of nascent, or unburnedmixing with the briquets. in cases such, for instance, cement 1111K turebricks, or when carbonic acid and other i dtl '"d" lldlt/ o c ciiven oran 1e pro utrs o. combustion cannot harm. the brlcks. battle wall uch asit 1h are built to force 7 L V 1 l ,L, J. es in ong'h the stacked bricnson the wagne section it allows of heating of j1'f 11'1g t it withoutpossibility ot ier deleterious in the ct combustion harming them sincehave already undergone a preliminary heating before reaching thissection l b tl 't' t anoin l lot enough 1c]. eroie o prei on .rlFiittlOHtrom the products oi com- 1 the section B 18 long enough to or even,wagons; to prevent any on on the colder bricks beg a top flue thereopens tne products of tOFfl fllSllOn to I, via the down side line i andmind flue l].

niinary heating referred to is atinto base delivery cud; this may bedone c down. lacs 1:: this air passing whole length the kiln becomes llyalso ping the underat the openiu 's u and runncy li n be introducedbetween two of the wagon loadsat the point 9 if desired, though beingpreferably operated on the plenum, or forced drattprinciplc; the amountoi any products oi. combustion, which may enter the preliminary heatingchamber quence.

wi considerable advantage of the plcnurn' system is that only a lowchimney stack required for the purpose of getting rid of the products ofcombustion; further in the system above set forth since the products ofcombustion never reach the cold briquets no condensation of steam takesplace, the briquetszire not harmed thereby, and greater economy ofworking is secured as no recvaporation of such condensation needs 5 totake place.

It must be understood that though shown in the drawings as fired byproducer gas the kiln may be fired by coal dust, or the like,in whichcase the flue K would be the flue from a furnace, or fire place attachedto the side of the kiln.

I am aware that prior to this invention tunnel kilns have beenconstructed having the hot- .l'lue U. A damper not enough to be of anyconsepreliminary heating of the incoming goods and also an enlargedcombustion chamber. 1 therefore do not claim such a combination broadly;but

What I do claim as my invention is:

1. The combination, in a tunnel kiln, of a combustion chamber having amain horizontal gas inlet with an enlarged combustion zone, and anauxiliary gas inlet directed toward the air supply for the main gasinlet, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. i I

2. A tunnel kiln having a combustion chamber of large volume inproportion to the volume occupied by 'the goods, an air preheatingchamber enlarged to the same or. a greater extent than the combustionchamber throughout the whole of its length, a section of kiln betweenthe combustion. and preheating chambers restricted in cross sectionalarea nearlyto the space occupied by the goods, horizontal gas inlets tothe combustion chamber where it joins the restricted section, means forconveying bricks through said combustion chamberand delivering the sameat one end of the tunnel, and means for admitting air into saidpreheating chamber and the restricted section being such that the speedof the draft through the restricted area projects it a considcraocdistance into the combustion chamber before becoming mixed with theentering gas, and being such that the pas of air through the preheatingchamber takes place slowly, substantially 'as de' scribed.

in a tunnel kiln, the combination of a combustion chamber having a mainhorizontal gas inlet, with an enlarged air heating chamber just prior tothe combustion chamber, dcficctorsfor directing the air current on tothe hot bricks,- and an auxiliary gas.

the delivery end of the kiln, andfiues for delivering the air in thebase flue to the preliminary drying zone .of-the kiln, a1l substantiallyas and for the. purpose set forth.

5. In a tunnel kiln, the combination of a combustion chamber having amain horizontalgas inlet, an enlarged air heating chamber prior to thecombustion chamber, de-

-flect0rs therein, an auxiliary horizontal gas delivery end of thetunnel, all substantially 1e inlet and battle walls bpening into theairasdescribed herein.

heating chamber, a top fresh air supply fine In testimony whereof IafliX my signature to the air heating chamber, a base fine, a inpresence of t-Wo'witnesses.

top discharge flue prior to the drying zone,

a delivery flue from the base flue t0 the dry- EDGAR HOUSE SUTOLIFFE;ing zone, a discharge flue from the latter, \Vitnesses: and a fandelivering air into the top fresh H. D. JAMESON,

air supply flue and t0 the base fine at the H. V. PUMFREY.

